Rediscovering forgotten residents

I have just completed writing the page for Household 9, John and Ellen Robinson. I remember thinking that they would make the final cut and have a chapter of their own in the book, but as it happened they didn't quite fit. As a result, I haven't really looked at their stories for such a long time and it has been interesting rediscovering them. I had completely forgotten about the workplace accident that killed Hiram Robinson (John and Ellen's son) at 40 years of age and which reminded me so much of Matthew Robinson's fatal accident. Both were killed whilst trying to start a machine using a strap. In Hiram's case a metal bar was needed to get things moving and when the engine began unexpectedly the accident occurred. It must have been an incredibly common reason for workplace injuries in the Victorian factories. I wonder at what point the machines became safer to start, turned on with the push of a button?

Many months ago I made a number of TikTok videos about workplace incidents that occurred in the main workplaces in Romiley; the hatworks, the Chadkirk printworks and the Oakwood Cotton Mill. There were of course many, but not quite so many as I had imagined. They were rarely fatal but a number of Romiley residents lost fingers and limbs. The coal mines of Bredbury seemed to be much more dangerous and I write about some of the accidents at the Demesne Pit in Bredbury in the Lucas Family chapter.

One danger (for me) of committing to writing about every household is that I am going to be tempted to keep returning and do more research, more digging, to make sure that every family is well represented with as much information as possible.